Fifteen months ago one of Wales' biggest out-of-town retail complexes was described as 'tragic' with units sitting empty in the aftermath of the pandemic. Big name retailers had packed their bags and left McArthurGlen, the iconic out-of-town shopping centre that so many of us drive past on the M4.
Gap, FatFace and Build A Bear were the latest names to go when we visited in May 2022. When we spoke to shoppers they told us they were "shocked" at empty units, high process and just how quiet it was.
One shopper told WalesOnline: "I went this week to pick up some bits and pieces for a trip we are going on. I was shocked by the number of empty units and a lot of the shops I went for had gone.
"The ones that were there didn't really have a great range either so we left feeling disappointed. All the empty units did look tragic."
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At the time footfall at the time was still 10% below pre-pandemic levels across the UK according to analysts Springboard and it very much looked like the days of the out of town retail park was numbered, not just in Bridgend but across the country.
Fast-forward to 2024 however and we've seen the trend suddenly buck. Parc Trostre in Llanelli has had a rollercoaster journey, from looking like a ghost town to boasting more than 30 shops and businesses across its huge 450,000 square foot site. It is expected to welcome a handful of new shops later this year.
And it seems the same is true in Bridgend. A lot has changed. New shops, in fact the site now has over 90 stores, plus a “deluxe” cinema, which was formerly just a standard Odeon. For the latest Bridgend news, sign up to our newsletter here
Last year the designer outlet celebrated its 25-year anniversary. In August they welcomed Puma to the site as well as children's clothing company Character.com. In fact since the summer of 2022 Footwear brand Carvela, Barbour, adidas and Raging Bull have also opened shops in previously empty units. And haircare retailers Regis and Molton Brown have opened pop-up shops on site. In fact when we visited there was not an empty shop unit in sight.
The food court is also bustling again with Zizzi joining Wagamama Five Guys and Nandos.
We sent reporter Bethany Gavaghan to review the designer outlet for herself. This is what she said:
It’s safe to say Bridgend’s McArthur Glen Designer Outlet has faced it’s fair share of criticism over the years. People have blamed it for Bridgend town’s ‘decline’, (although I always think it still has character like no other, and the foodie scene is booming), said its designer shops are too pricey for lots of customers, and that the empty shops there were 'tragic.' It even faced backlash for their deluxe Odeon when people said it was too cold.
I went to the cinema last year and had a great time. I had no issues with the temperature and thought it was a great way of treating yourself if you fancy a more filmic cinema experience. And after hearing that the shopping centre had been called tragic not too long ago, it was time to find out what it was really like at the moment.
I visited last week and was genuinely impressed. The so-called 'tragic' shopping centre has well and truly been brought back to life, with its polished look that anyone can enjoy. The vibe at McArthur Glen is much nicer than St David’s shopping centre in Cardiff, which I regularly walk in and out of without buying anything when it feels too busy. McArthur Glen, on the other hand in Bridgend was like an oasis of calm in comparison.
There was a huge range of shops, and the atmosphere was still buzzing without feeling like you were about to bump into someone at any given moment. And people were smiling actual smiles- a rare occurrence in the middle of any shopping outlet.
The best bit had to be the Cadbury’s shop, which is the only one of its kind in Wales- I had a look around and you can get all sorts of things in there, including a massive bag of ‘misshapes’ for £4. Walking around the centre itself, it was slick, modern and much trendier than I had expected.
The new Zizzi’s also looked lovely, and I wasn’t the only one who thought so. While I was eyeing it up, several other shoppers also had a nosey through the windows, making “ooh, that looks new” noises whole doing so. Overall I was hugely surprised, and would definitely oppose the view that it looked in any way tragic.
So what's actually at McArthur Glen now?
Adidas, Asics, Barbour, Beauty Outlet, Bedeck, Boss, Cadburym Calvin Klein, Card Centre, Carvela, Chapelle, Character, Claire's, Clarks, Clogau, Crew Clothing, Dune, Eden, Ernest jones, Fatface, Gift Company, Helly Hansen, Holland & Barett, Hotel Chocolat, Jack Wills, Joules, Klass, Kurt Geiger, Lakeland, Le Creuset, Levi's, Lindt, M&S, Molton Brown, Moss, Mountain Warehouse, New Balance, Next, Odeon, Osprey, Pavers, PorCook, Puma, Radley, Raging Bull, Brio, Regatta, Regis, Roman, Saltrock, Skechers, Skopes, Sole Trader, SportsDirect, Suit Direct, Sunglass Hut, Superdry, Ted Baker, Tempur, The Body Shop, The Cosmetics Store, The North Face, The Perfume Shop, The Works, Timberland, Tommy Hilfiger, Trespass, Vans, Weekend Offender, White Stuff, Whittard, Yankee Candle.
McArthur Glen now attracts three million visitors a year to its Bridgend site.
According to British Land, the largest owner and operator of retail parks in the UK sales were up 6% year-on-year during 2023 across out-of-town retail parks with occupancy at a 12-year high.
Matthew Reed, head of retail parks and retail solutions said: "Across the sector more broadly, retail parks are continuing to outperform, with retail park footfall up 2.2% year on year in September vs 1.4% year on year in high streets and 1.5% in shopping centres."
A spokesman for McArthur Glen said: "We have seen a notable increase in both footfall and sales towards the end of 2023 which exceeded our predictions proving that our customers still love the excitement of a bricks and mortar shopping experience. The cost-of-living crisis continues to add extra pressure to everyone’s budget, but we believe that our strong value proposition and the wide range of brands we provide are the reason that our customers continue to return and spend at our Centre.
"Even during January, a notoriously blue month, and the cost-of-living crisis, our key messaging of Joy resonates with our customers. There is frequently an excited buzz in the atmosphere in the Centre, especially during busier periods and the weekends following Zizzi’s opening.
"We are a go-to location for finding the perfect gift as well, so we’re expecting this atmosphere to continue on the run up to Valentine’s Day as shoppers hunt for the perfect something to give their loved ones!"
He added: "Continuing over the next quarter we expect the trends of value-led shopping with sustainable investment in key pieces from premium brands to continue."
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